I quit my job to be a travel creator

For the past 2.5 years I've been working as a video editor for a youtuber, Shervin Shares. Beyond developing my skills, the big advantage was being able to travel and work remotely from anywhere in the world. But the thing about being a digital nomad, working and traveling, is that it can make it pretty hard to work and pretty hard to travel. Most of my time visiting new places has been constricted to very nice coffee shops with good wifi. And really my major goal was always to use the flexibility from this job to make my own videos, but it's been a challenging balance to strike. I cut down my work hours to focus on my creativity, but really that still meant I was working too much to give it enough attention, while also working too little for it to be sustainable. In short I was half-assing it, and what I feared most was draining my savings without ever giving myself a real shot. To be honest, this is a realization I reached over a year ago, but it's scary quitting the safe route, even if all indications are that it's the right thing to do.

So how am I even able to do this? Well 3 things: 1) I have savings and investments. Not a ton. But enough that if budgeted very well could maybe give me and my partner a year of runway. 2) I'm still going to be working, sort of. It won't be as reliable as before, but we've started selling video and photo packages to resorts we encounter as we travel. Sales is a skill that needs practice, but there's definitely potential there and I'll still be taking on editing jobs occasionally. 3) If worst comes to worst, I could always go back to teaching at International schools. I have teaching experience and a US credential. I don't want to rely too heavily on the backup plan, but it gives me ease of mind knowing that if funds do get dangerously low it's an available lifeboat.

I know it's cliche but life is short, and I think the longer it goes the shorter it feels. I feel comfort in knowing that if I give myself a shot and I fail, I'll still be proud of myself for doing that and me and my partner are meanwhile gonna have an epic adventure together exploring the world and our creative potential.

Do the thing that makes life feel worthwhile. You've got nothing to lose that you won't eventually lose anyway.

Wishing you well,

Naser